The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-12-29
Sam Houston's Long-kept Secret

The blank in the history of the FAM
Gus Sam Houston has at last beer filled
up. 1t will be remembered that after
living for some time among the Cher
okee Indians, and fighting in the war
of 1912, he settled in Tennessee, began
to practice law, was twice elected to
Congress, and in 1927 was elected
Governor of Tennessee. and in JAN
uary, 1929, he was married to the
belle of Tennessee, and in less than
two months after his marriage he sud-
denly resigned the Governorshin. de-
serted his wife aud home, ard disap-
peared. This created an intense SEN
sation throughout the country, as
Houston was regarded as the most
promising man in the South. The
cause of Houston's resignation of the
Governorship, his desertion of his
bride, and his abandonment of the
path of civilization has always been a
mystery. He never revealed it him.
self to his civilized friends. A staff
correspondent of the st. Louis Repub-
lican, sent to Tahlequah, l. T., to write
up the Indian troubles, obtained from
undoubted authority facts tina. clear
up this mystery.
When Houston resigned the Gov
ernorshIp he made straight from Ten
nessee's Capital to the Arkansas River.
He fell in with a band of Usage In
dlans near the present site of For +
Gibson, told them he desired to live
with the tribe, and he was welcomed.
He donnad breech-clout and blanket,
shaved his head to the crown, and
daubed his face with paint. He cut
himself off entirely from civilization
and lived with the Indians.
For time he was leader, and mar
ried an Indian girl, but afterward he
became drunkard. While under the
influence of whisky he told the story
of his flight from Tennessee to John
Jorley, an Indian companion. Jorley
told it to Wolf Star, and from the lat
ter the correspondent got it.
Houston's wife married him to please
her parents. She had been previously
engaged to a young man in Nashville,
but, under parental influence, broke
off the engagement and accepted Hous-
toms offer of marriage, and, i'll view
of his prospects, it was thought she
had made brilliant match. He loved
the young woman and was made tC
believe that she returned his affection.
Houston had no knowledge of the pre-
vious engagement, and his wife man.
aged to maintain outward cheerful
ness for some time. He returned
home one night about IL o'clock, and
his wife was in bed and she was weep
| ing. The husband was solicitous and
| the wife fretful. He asked what caused
her tears, and she gave no satisfactory
answer. He importuned her, and at
last she told him.
She said she was bad, wicked wo-
man; that she did not love her hus
band, but loved another man; that she
never could love her husband or for.
get the other man, and that her life
| was miserable. She confessed that fol-
some time before she had been engaged
to marry Houston she had maintained
illicit relations with the other man.
Houston never said a word, but imme
diately went to his office, wrote out
his resignation as Governor, saddled
horse, and rode into the wilderness
This is the mystery of HoustOn's life as
| revealed by himself.
Houston kept little store among
the Indians, and always had barre
of whisky on tap. He drank all The
time. In this way he lived for couple
of years. He finally went to Texas
| where his brilliant career as soldier
in the Texas war, as President Of thu
Texas Republic, and Senator from The
State of Texas is well known.-S
| Louis Letter.